


who says you can't go home

by daisieflowers



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29880786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisieflowers/pseuds/daisieflowers
Summary: In the end it’s a cocktail of drugs and alcohol that finally claim his life......or Fiona returns to the Southside for Frank's funeral, catches up with her siblings lives and has a lot of feelings about it.
Relationships: Debbie Gallagher/Sandy Milkovich, Fiona Gallagher & Siblings, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Kev Ball/Veronica Fisher, Lip Gallagher/Tami Tamietti
Comments: 6
Kudos: 74





	who says you can't go home

**Author's Note:**

> title from the bon jovi song by the same name.

In the end it’s a cocktail of drugs and alcohol that finally claim his life. Since getting the diagnosis all those months before, he had been on a downward spiral full of heavy drinking and recreational drug use. It was probably for the best that he leaves the earth in the way that he does, doing what he has always loved best. His family were aware of how worried he was about the dementia, about losing himself and who he was. Sure, he had had his moments over the last few months, had started to forget some basic information, often had a few hours that were just blank for him. But he was gone before the disease could really claim him and the Gallagher’s knew in their hearts that he would be happy about that.

Fiona flies in for the funeral because it's not like she can't. She arrives on the day and this is the first time she has returned to the Southside since she left all those years ago. Part of her had never wanted to return home, was worried about how quickly she could get sucked back in, but even she knew she couldn’t not attend her own fathers funeral. No matter what terms they were on, no matter how many times he had wronged her in the past. He was still her dad, she needed to say one last goodbye or she would have constantly regretted it. Plus, she needed to be there for her siblings. One last time.

It feels different as she pulls up at the house, she rejected any offers of a pickup from her siblings, instead getting a taxi from the airport straight over. The Gallagher house seems quiet, almost too quiet. Especially compared to the house next door that has several, dirty looking Milkovich’s sat around a fire in the front yard; and Fiona spots a very miserable, very still Terry Milkovich sat in a wheelchair on the front stoup. Clearly unable to join the rest of his family by the campfire. Fiona hadn’t quite believed her family when they told her about their new neighbours, now she can see they were telling the truth. It's weird, the Gallagher's were always supposed to be the loud family of the street, the family neighbours complained about, now they sat there quiet and still.

The front door was unlocked, just like it always was, allowing her to walk straight in and she could instantly feel the somber mood that surrounded the house. Hitting her like a freight train. It was never supposed to be this quiet at the Gallagher household. There was always supposed to be someone, somewhere shouting at a sibling, squabbling over the bathroom, footsteps on the stairs. She made her way further into the house, picking her way through the cardboard boxes that littered the floor. A reminder that this might be the last time she is ever in this house. She always used to think that if she were to return home, it would be to this house, the house that had been the biggest part of their lives for the longest time. Now that would not be the case, soon it would all just be a memory.

She knew from phone conversations with her siblings that they were all moving on. Lip had his eye on the house he was currently renting and had been rented over the last year or so, hoping to finally own it. Ian and Mickey had somehow got their hands on a house in the Westside, Fiona wasn’t sure on the details of how they came to purchase the house, just that it was there’s and they were taking Liam with them. Getting him as far away from the Milkovich's as they could, Fiona was not enjoying the irony. Carl had plans to move in with some friends he had made on the force, while Debbie and Franny would be getting their own apartment. Everyone was finally moving on.

Debbie was the first to greet her, catching her eye as she entered the kitchen and a small smile stretched across her face as her baby sister jumped up from the stool to pull her in for a hug. She could already see the tears swimming in her eyes and she knew that today was going to be one emotional rollercoaster. Fiona hugged her tight, savouring the feel of her sister in her arms once more, even though Debbie was long past the little girl she had raised for all those years. She pulled away from the hug moving on to greet both Carl and Liam who had been sat at the table, picking at slices of toast and sips of coffee. She pulls them in for their own hugs separately, clinging to them both like she had Debbie. It had been three years since she last stepped foot on the Southside but back in this kitchen with 3 of her siblings made it feel like no time had passed.

Steps echoing on the stairs, a familiar sound she can't help but smile at, fill the silence surrounding them, and she lets go of Liam to turn and see which of her other siblings she will be greeted with, spotting Ian as he reaches the bottom of the stairs in the living room. It had been even longer since she last saw Ian in person. He was still serving his time when she had left and so it was nice to finally see him in person, outside of the prison walls and bright yellow jumpsuits. He looked good, although he was obviously filled with grief and emotion given the difficulty of the day, he still somehow looked happier and lighter than he had in years. He had bulked out and looked very dashing in his black suit.

Just a step behind him was Mickey, it had been even longer since Fiona had seen him and he looked better than ever as well. Gone were any traces of that dirty white boy her younger brother had been so infatuated with. In his place was a very handsome young man, like Ian he had also bulked out and just generally looked better than he ever had wearing a suit almost identical to Ian’s.

It was still one of her biggest regrets, not returning home for their wedding. When she got the invite she had phoned her brother up to tell him she would not be able to make it, she had blamed it on the fact it was too short notice for work and tried to ignore how her brothers face fell for that split second before he smiled once more and reassured her it was no problem, he understood how quick everything was happening. She had ended their FaceTime with a feeling of guilt wrapped around her, the reality of the situation was that she just was not ready to return home just yet.

It had barely even been a year and she was worried that it was just too soon and so had selfishly made the option to skip the wedding. It didn't help that part of her had never understood why Ian chose Mickey, had always felt he could do better than a Milkovich no matter how much Ian and all her other siblings reassured her that Mickey was nothing like his family. She worried this was all happening too soon and it might all come down in flames.

Despite all that, she still felt sick when she received pictures from the day and she was hit with the startling reality that she was not there, she was the only one who had missed out on Ian's wedding to the man he loved; had missed out on a day that she knows Ian had never believed would happen for him. Even Frank was in attendance and that night she had cried herself to sleep with a gut full of regret. 

“Hi Fi.” Ian said, his voice soft as he pulled her in for a hug and she could hear the raw emotion in his tone. It was hard, none of them were exactly members of the Frank Gallagher fan club; but no matter how much they hated him, no matter how many wrong doings he had committed, he was still their father, he was still such a huge presence in their lives and none of them knew how they were going to possibly fill it.

Everyone gathered in the kitchen, conversations didn’t flow as lively as they once would have, the emotion of the day filled the air around them. They all drank coffee and give Fiona details surrounding everything; from Frank’s diagnosis to his overdose. Lip arrived with Tami not long after Fiona; entering through the back way and pulling his older sister in for a hug.

Fiona briefly wonders how he is doing, moments like this can be an easy trigger for those with addictions and she only hopes he is strong enough to make it through the day without relying on alcohol. She can't smell anything on him at the moment, and from what she sees and observes she does not believe he is under the influence in anyway, but the worry is still present, just like the worry for all her siblings. Fiona asks about her nephew, she’s only met him over FaceTime and is hoping to meet him properly during her short stay. He is currently with Tami’s parents, a funeral is not exactly appropriate for a baby, but Lip tells her about how good he is doing and it makes her smile.

Kevin and V arrive just before the cars are due and Fiona feels overwhelmed as her best friend pulls her in for a bone crushing hug. It was a different kind of feeling when she left V behind, she had been her only friend for as long as she could remember and it had been so hard in those early days, when she was trying to find her footing and start again, when she couldn’t just pop over to her best friends place for a catch up and gossip. She had always considered herself a confident, outspoken character but in those early days she had struggled to socialise and make new friends, making the V shaped hole even bigger.

The cars arrive soon after everyone has gathered together, ready to take them to the funeral chapel and it feels like it hits all the family as they step outside and are greeted with the sight of the hearse. Fiona isn’t sure what she expected from today, but the moment her eyes land on the coffin situated behind the glass she can feel the tears well up in her eyes almost like this is proof that he really is dead, this isn't some sick joke Frank had decided to pull. It’s a simple, mahogany coffin with two flower displays on either side, one reading Frank, the other reading dad. She feels her best friends presence and reaches out to take V’s hand, squeezing hard as the two of them share sad, emotion filled smiles.

She looks around at her siblings, needs to check that they are all ok because that will always be her job. Lip leads them out, Tami tucked into his side as he wraps his other arm around Carl’s shoulders. Tami looks emotional with tears in her eyes, but neither of her brothers are crying. They are visibly upset, Fiona has always been able to understand her siblings emotions so easily, so Fiona can tell they are determined to hold it together, probably for the sake of everyone else, but they are also emotional right now. Debbie follows behind Lip, crying quietly as she holds onto a girl Fiona isn’t familiar with but figures is Debbie’s girlfriend. The girl has Franny situated on her hip, the young girl is very quiet as she clearly takes in the mood of everyone around her, even if she doesn’t know exactly what is going as the family all start to head towards the cars

Fiona stays to the back of everyone, follows behind Ian, and just like his brothers, Fiona can tell he is also holding back the emotion of the whole day. Fiona briefly worries about Ian's mental state, hopes he took his meds this morning because this day will be stressful for everyone, but let alone Ian. Fiona knows that her brother is in a good place, and she has faith that he is looking after himself even more these days and is doing everything that he can to ensure he remains in a good place. Plus as she watches Mickey keep a tight hold of Ian’s hand, directing him towards the other car, she knows her brother is in safe hands. She may not be his biggest fan and she may not agree with some of the methods used in the past, but she knows that Ian’s health and well-being have always been Mickey’s biggest priority.

Liam is tucked into Ian’s side, holding onto his older brother for support and Fiona can see how visibly upset he is. She is not surprised, out of all of them Liam is probably the one who had the closest bond with Frank, a bond that loosely resembled a father and son duo. She knew Frank had tried just a little more with Liam than he had anyone else, had attempted to form some sort of relationship in the later years, and it may not have been successful but it was more than he did with anyone else.

Fiona follows the three into the second car, with Kevin and V also joining them. She is sat on the back row, she keeps her hand in Veronica’s and is extremely grateful to have her best friend by her side. No one talks once they are seated and ready to go, the atmosphere tense and stoic as the cars pull off and follow slowly behind the hearse.

It isn’t a long drive to the funeral place, but it still feels like forever, sat in the back of that car, holding into V’s hand as she attempts not to cry, watching the back of her brothers heads like a hawk, waiting for any sign that they are upset and in need of a comfort. But no one is crying, or not out loud at least, and sure Liam’s head comes down to rest on Ian’s shoulder but he isn't making a noise and he has Ian. He doesn’t need Fiona.

There is a bigger crowd than Fiona expected when they finally arrive at the funeral home, Frank may have been hated by most people in the neighbourhood, but he also made an impact on people and their lives and it shows with all the people who have turned out. Fiona spots many familiar faces in the crowd, some from round the estate such as Tommy and Kermit. Others from further a field, Fiona is sure she spots Shelia in the crowd and she can’t help but feel emotional at the sight, it has been a long time since she saw that familiar face and it feels kind of nice that Shelia has returned for Frank's final send off.

The cars finally come to a stop and they all exit the cars. Lip, Ian, Carl, Kevin and Mickey all step forward, ready to lift the coffin up onto their shoulders and carry him inside, while Fiona steps forward and places her arm around Liams shoulders as the rest of the family follow behind, with everyone else following the family. The boys place the coffin down at the front before they all step back, taking seats on the first few rows.

Fiona sits beside Liam and Ian comes to sit beside them. She leans over to squeeze his hand, she can see the tears shining in his eyes as he looks her way, sending her a soft, emotion filled smile that she returns. He always was the most emotional of her brothers. She lets his hand go, allows his husband to take it instead so that she can wrap her arm around Liam once again.

The service is beautiful considering it’s all about Frank. There are some beautiful words said and Fiona finally lets the tears fall. Using a tissue to wipe them away quickly, as others around her also shed tears. Lip holds strong, has Tami wrapped up to his side who is crying herself. Carl is also staying strong, his eyes are swimming with tears but they don’t fall as he holds Franny on his knee. Her young niece unaware of the magnitude of what is happening but obvious that it is something not good.

Debbie sits with her girlfriend, crying hard in her shoulder as the service progresses, she is probably the one crying the most of all the Gallagher siblings, something which does not surprise Fiona in the slightest. Liam keeps his head on Fiona’s shoulder and she can feel the way his body shakes with silent tears, knows how emotional he is. She peaks over Liam's head, can see some tracks down Ian’s face too, he isn’t crying as hard as his siblings but there are some tears there as Mickey wraps his arms around him and keeps him close. V has yet to cry, but Fiona can see the emotion in her best friends face as she lays cuddled into Kevin. It is a weird and emotional day for all of them.

Once the service is over they head back outside, Frank will be laid to rest with a bottle of Kevin’s finest scotch in a plot close to Monica’s. It’s bittersweet in the end, they were both terrible parents, but they definitely loved one another and it’s kind of sweet to think they will now be back together, most likely dancing on a bar in the pits of hell, snorting lines of coke.

Following the service they all head back to the Alibi for the wake, Kevin hosting the private party at Frank’s favourite place. There is food and Kev is given out free or heavily discounted booze to guests, which is always a bonus. The Gallagher clan take over a few booths along the back, the bar is crowded, has more costumers than they have seen in years, even before the pandemic hit and took out the majority of their paying customers, and V needs to leave the small group for a while to help Kev keep up with the drink orders.

People start to dwindle after about an hour, once they've downed a few shots and consumed most of the food. Fiona spends fifteen minutes talking with Shelia before she leaves and it is good to catch up with the older woman who she realises she has missed dearly since she left the Southside all those years ago. Soon it’s just the family left along with a few of the Alibi’s regulars who have a permeant residence on the bar stools. Kevin is keeping the drinks flowing and no one is in a rush to leave. Debbie and Lip both say a little something about Frank at one point, it’s as nice as it can be considering who it is about and there are a few more tears shed amongst the family.

Fiona makes her way round the family, catching up on all her siblings and their lives. Sure she keeps in contact with them, has phone and FaceTime conversations with her siblings at least once a week, but it’s not the same as in person. There is only so much information you can received through phone calls and texts.

Carl tells her all about his work on the force. It will always be weird to think of her little brother, who was once considered a write off, everyone assuming he would go down a path of drugs and crime, was now working on the opposite side. He was helping to fight crime rather than causing it. He seems happy with life, is doing something he really enjoys and he’s got some good friends on the force. Some of who he is moving in with soon and helping him stay on the right course. He said he hadn’t seen much action lately, he had been doing more patrols around the street which just involved sending a few hookers on their way and busting a few drug dealings, but he didn’t mind because he was still new to the job and every now and then he still got to see some action.

He was fighting for his sexual assault case as well, Fiona remembers how sick she had felt when her young brother had disclosed his abuse to her. She had wanted to return home there and then to find the bitch who had done this to Carl. But he told her he had it covered, he had took the first step and had reported it. It was going slow, it was a difficult case, not as black and white as the rape stories you hear about in the news, when a male attacks the woman, forcing himself upon her. But they were getting somewhere which was better than nothing at all.

Apparently the girl was claiming she was pregnant and that Carl held a legal duty to be a father. Carl of course wanted nothing to do with it, he never wanted a child, he didn’t consent to the conceiving of said child and he wasn’t even sure it was his as they only technically had sex one time and there was an ongoing inquiry about the date of conception surrounding the unborn child, with possibility that she had been pregnant before the night with Carl and she was using this as a trap to claim on his medical insurance.

Fiona thought it sounded awful, all the work they had to do, and in the end it might amount to very little pay off. But Carl seemed optimistic, said he had Mickey by his side and that they were inspiring a few more to come out. Fiona didn’t press on the matter regarding Mickey's involvement, she had always worried something awful had gone in behind the walls of the Milkovich house, something Ian may know about but would never speak about, but she knew it wasn’t Carl’s story to tell and she could not press him to tell a story that Mickey might not want her to know.

Catching up with Liam was the easiest of all her siblings since he was the one she had the most regular contact with. In hushed calls between the two of them, she had learnt about the part Liam had played in paralysing Terry Milkovich. She had calmed him down as best she could when it was eating him alive at the very start, but over the months, as Liam released that no one was ever going to come after him for what he did, that so many others on the Southside would have done it had they got the chance, and with Liam it was a genuine mistake and that's what matter most. He never planned to shoot that gun, he never wanted to release the bullet that fell straight into Terry’s neck leaving him almost like a sitting vegetable. Things were getting better for Liam, he was no longer constantly looking over his shoulder, worried when the next slur would be thrown his way, or if someone was lurking in the shadows.

Fiona knew that Liam's anxiety was also dwelling thanks to the fact he was finally getting out. In just a few short weeks he would no longer be living beside a family of racist, biggot homophobes who had made his life hell from the moment they moved in. He would be living in a nice house on the Westside away from them all. Fiona must admit, when her siblings first announced the plans to sell their house so that they could all finally move on, she had been skeptical and also very worried about Liam and what would happen to him. Her skeptics hadn’t really subdued when Ian told her of his plans to take Liam with him and Mickey; and for a brief moment she thought about coming home to collect Liam. Take him back with her.

But Liam seemed happy enough to go with his older brother and husband. He liked the idea of living on the Westside. He didn’t seem bothered about transferring schools, telling Fiona surely his new place would be a step up from his current place of education. He also talked constantly about the fact he would finally have his own room. The house they were moving into was three bedroomed, meaning he would have his own room and after sharing with one sibling or another for his entire life it was a luxury for him. Fiona couldn't deny it, she was still a little skeptical about everything. She worried about the possibility of Ian having another episode and if Mickey could handle the pressure of looking after both Ian and Liam in that scenario. But Ian had been doing good for so many years now, and it was clear Liam wanted to stay here, in Chicago, close to his family. Plus the Gallagher’s never left anyone behind, each of her siblings would step up to help when and if it was needed.

Lip mainly talked about Freddie when Fiona got a chance to catch up with him. He talked about how big he had got recently and all of the milestones he was hitting. He had already said his first word and Lip was smug about the fact it was dada; and he was now starting to take his first steps, although he was still very wobbly and unsure on his feet. They talked about the sale of the house, it was already sold to someone they didn’t know, someone who wasn't originally from the Southside. Lip thinks the buyers are planning to flip.

Lip was using his money to lay down a deposit on a mortgage for the house him and Tami were already in. They had been renting the place for a while now, had done a lot of work on it and so they decided in the end they wanted to try and get their hands on it, and luckily for them, the owner wanted a quick sell and agreed to a deal with Lip. Now they were just waiting for all the paperwork to go through.

Fiona took time to chat with Tami as well, she didn’t really know the mother of her nephew much and it was nice to give her a chance to get to know each other a little better. Tami seemed nice enough, she didn’t let Lip get away with anything and Fiona could tell she loved both Freddie and Lip which was the most important thing anyway. They didn’t have much in common but she was better than most of the girls Lip had dated over the years.

Catching up with Debbie is filled with its usual drama. Fiona learns that the girl that has been by her side all day is Sandy Milkovich, her current girlfriend, and Fiona wonders what charm the Milkovich’s seem to have on the Gallagher’s since this is the third one of her siblings to fall for a Milkovich. Fiona wonders if Debbie’s romance is going to end more like Ian or Lip’s. Sandy seems nice enough, there is no denying that she is a Milkovich, but she seems calm and mellow compared to some of her relatives and she seems to be taken by Debbie.

Fiona is well versed on most of Debbie’s drama right now, having heard it all in the phone conversations they shared infrequently, but she still listens as her little sister rants and raves. Debbie and Carl aren’t on the best of terms at the moment and so she hears her little sister moan about that. Ever since Carl started up this case against male sexual assault, tensions have been high between them. The case had brought Debbie’s history surrounding the dubious consent of Franny’s conception up, along with the night she lost her virginity and it was causing friction between the household. Debbie not wanting to back down even though she knows she is in the wrong, while Carl although he loves his sister is not willing to let her actions go so easily. Fiona, just like majority of her other siblings, is staying out of it and not taking any sides. Telling Carl and Debbie she wasn’t getting involved and always tried to steal the conversation away.

She couldn’t avoid the topic completely though, and so today she listened to Debbie's side, but refused to offer any input into the situation. She knew it irked Debbie a little but she had done the same with Carl, listened to his side and then changed the topic and she was going to do that with Debbie as well. She asked Debbie about her new place, she knew Debbie had been the one most reluctant to let go of the house, had dug her heels in to try and keep it, and even now she knew her younger sister was still not happy about the sale. But when all of her siblings were in agreement about selling, and she couldn't put up the money to buy them out, there wasn’t much she could do.

She told Fiona about the small two bedroom apartment she had found a couple blocks over from their old house. It wasn’t perfect and Debbie could find a lot to complain about with the apartment, from the tiny kitchen to the state it had been left in. She said it would need a lot of work before it actually looked nice and like something resembling a home, but her and Franny finally had their own bedrooms and that was something at least. Fiona smiled and listened, asked appropriate questions and it was nice to see and catch-up with her sister once again, but when her attention was diverted towards her daughter who was dancing on a table meaning Debbie quickly excused herself, Fiona couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. Her sister always was a drama queen.

Ian was the last of her siblings for her to catch up with, she wanted to chat with him alone and so when he finally left Mickey’s side to head over to the bar she excused herself from the conversation with V and followed him over. Taking a seat in the empty stool beside Ian.

“Hey Fi, I’m really glad you could make it.” Ian says as a greeting before leaning in for a hug. Fiona wraps her arms around her little brother, letting the familiar scent of stale cigarettes and cheap aftershave fill her senses. She’s missed this so much. She pulls back as Kev deposits two beers in front of them before heading back out to everyone. Fiona accepts the bottle and clinks it against Ian’s in a small toast. Taking a sip as she takes in the sight of her brother once again.

He has removed both his suit jacket and tie, along with opening up a few of his shirt buttons and rolling his sleeves up. Sitting so close Fiona can tell just how much he has bulked up, how the shirt pulls right across his shoulders and back muscles, how good his arms look in the confines of the white cotton shirt. Fiona can tell, even with the atmosphere over them, that Ian is happier than ever, he has a permanent glint in his eyes and everything about him just seems lighter, more relaxed.

Out of all her siblings, Ian is probably the one who has done the most since she left. In just the three years since she had left the Southside, Ian had been released from prison, got married, was a home owner and was now taking on the responsibility of their youngest brother. It sometimes seems a little crazy that the sibling that inherited Monica’s bipolar disorder was currently the most stable of them all. It was a really good feeling and lovely to witness.

“How you feeling?” Fiona asks after a few beats of silence because even though he looks happier and healthier then she has known in a long time, she can’t help but question him, she thinks she always will. He is the one most vulnerable to the emotions that can come from losing a loved one and although Ian was probably the sibling most distanced from Frank, they had never had a great relationship and it had become even more strained once they learnt Ian wasn’t actually Frank’s biological child, it was always hard to lose any sort of parental figure. She had saw the tears shed during the service but since they left the funeral home he had remained pretty stable and there had been no warning signs of his mental health slipping.

“As good as can be I guess. It’s not like Frank was ever going to win parent of the year and most of the time his appearance was more of a hindrance than anything else. But it still feels strange that we will never see him again, will never get another call to say he’s drunk himself to the point of a hospital visit, will never trip over his passed out body on the front.” Ian tells her, and Fiona can’t help but agree. If she has been honest, since leaving Chicago she hasn’t exactly missed her father, she enjoyed not having to deal with all his drama and she never once shared a phone conversation with him since leaving. But now that she knows there is no longer a chance to be drawn back in, she is never going to see that drunken, grovelling excuse of a father than could bring her so much rage, she felt a weird emotion stirring inside her.

“Ever since I heard the news of his death I’ve felt conflicted.” Fiona admits, “Part of me feels guilty that I didn’t reach out as soon as I heard about his diagnosis, but then I also feel annoyed about that guilt because he never cared about anyone but himself, was never interested in us or making sure we were safe and healthy. It’s hard, but I suppose that’s what we get when we have a father as complex as Frank Gallagher.” Fiona muses out loud, and when she finishes a silence sits over her and Ian. Neither of them really knowing what to say next.

“Anyway, enough about Frank. How are you doing? Getting ready to become a resident of the West Side?” Fiona eventually breaks, and Ian smiles at that, glad of the change in conversation.

He tells her about the house, the three bedroomed house that they have purchased on the West Side. Apparently, when taking on responsibility of Mickey’s dad, the couple had come across some documents that were well hidden inside the Milkovich house. As it turns out Mickey’s mum had left him and Mandy a chunk of money, and his dad had been making his way through it without anyone knowing. By the time they recovered what was left and sent half of it over to Mandy, they had enough, along with some money they had been saving, to put down a deposit and get a mortgage. It had been a difficult process considering the fact they were both ex convicts still on parole, but a glowing recommendation from their PO had secured them the mortgage in the end.

Liam was of course moving with them, it had made the most sense for Ian and Mickey to take on the role of guardian for the youngest Gallagher sibling. Debbie already had Franny to care of and Lip had Fred, Carl was still too young and immature to take on the role and so Ian was happy to take on his younger brother. To be honest, it hadn't even really been a question for Ian. It’s not like Liam was the hardest child to take care of, he was independent to a fault given his family and living situation and was probably more responsible than any of his siblings. But Fiona was still pleased he had someone looking after him, someone to take care of him and actually let him be a kid and not a mini adult; especially after all the trauma and upset he had encountered over the last few months.

Ian told her that since the Gallagher home was still there’s for another few weeks before they had to be out, Liam was still staying there with everyone else, whereas himself and Mickey were already in the new house, getting it up and ready since it had needed some work doing, including some decorating and getting some furniture. Fiona figured she might stop by before she heads home, since she was going to be in Chicago for the next 5 days, making sure everything was in order when it came to Frank’s life and minimal assets. Plus her, Ian and Mickey had a court hearing on Friday to legally pass over guardianship of Liam. Since Frank was now dead they needed a living, breathing guardian in Chicago so that CPS didn’t try to take Liam away since he was now officially an orphan, just like all of them. So even though Liam was always going to stay with Ian and Mickey, the death of their father meant they had to make it legal.

They continued to chat for a few more minutes, moving on from the house to talk about the very successful weed security business that Ian and Mickey had set up. They were bringing in enough cash that they were sitting pretty comfortably and Fiona could tell how glad Ian was that Mickey was finally doing something legal that also included them working as a team; which as it turns out is when they work best.

They two of them eventually return to the rest of the family, continuing the party and the drinking. Tami leaves first since she hasn’t been drinking in solidarity of Lip and she has Freddie to get back to. Lip decides to stay with his family just for the night, so Tami heads out, kissing Lip goodbye and taking Liam and Franny with her since the two youngest were getting a little restless, and everyone else was still in the mood to continue the party.

The family continue the party well into the night and make no effort to leave until the Alibi is officially closed, with Kev turning off the lights and herding them all out, everyone in a state between tipsy and drunk - except for Lip who has managed to stay sober the whole time.

Fiona clings onto V like a lifetime, only now realising just how tipsy she is as the fresh air washes over her. The group stumble down the street all giggles and laughs. Both Kevin and Lip have hold of Carl who is pretty much dead to the world, slumped over after having far too many shots which Fiona finds a little amusing. Just in front of them is Mickey whose got a grip on Ian,the red head may not have drank as much as the others but thanks to his meds he was a bigger lightweight than the rest and so was stumbling about a bit, laughing at nothing in particular as his husband tried to keep a grip on him. Debbie pulled up at the rear with her arm around Sandy’s shoulder as the two almost did a little dance down the street.

The group make a quick stop at a takeaway, order large amounts of greasy food to take home, and by the time they get to their street, they have all amalgamated together to form one large group stumbling about together, with Ian now hanging off Mickey’s back as the older man rumbles off fond grunts. Fiona can’t help but admire how strong Mickey must be to support the weight of his bulked up, long limbed husband.

Ian decides this is the perfect time to start a round of karaoke, singing living on a prayer very loudly and off key. They are all laughing and soon enough the entire group is singing along as well, climbing the stairs to the house as they reach the chorus and ignore the insults getting shot their way from the Milkovich’s sat in neighbouring front yard. Fiona kicks the door open, stumbling inside along with everyone else, Mickey deposits Ian in the sofa, but the red head refuses to let go and the couple both fall onto the sofa together in a fit of giggles. Mickey muttering to Ian about if he drank more than he had should have, while Kev and Lip deposit Carl in the chair, Debbie and Sandy head straight for the stairs and V heads into the kitchen. Fiona follows with the bags of food, hopes there is coffee somewhere as she thinks it’s probably best they all try and sober up before heading to sleep.

She brews a pot of coffee, gets out some cups as she feels strangely at home, like no time has passed at all as she makes coffee for the residents in the house. She calls out for everyone once the coffee is finally done, V is already sat at the table with the boxes of food laid out and plates stacked waiting for food. Kev comes in first, taking a cup and sitting down beside his wife, Mickey follows with Ian draped along his side and deposits his husband in a chair before picking up two cups of coffee as Lip enters last, having left Carl sleeping in the chair and there is no sound to indicate Debbie and Sandy will be joining them.

It feels nice as Fiona takes one of the remaining seats at the table and everyone tucks into the food, voices rolling across one another as they agree over who gets what slice of pizza and who gets a portion of chips. Fiona sits back a little and just takes it all in, it almost feels like no time has passed at all, like she has never left and it leaves an almost dull ache in her stomach. She knows deep down that she made the right decision when she left it all behind, and she also knows that in just a few short days she needs to do it all over again, she needs to return to the new life that she is building. But maybe what hurts the most is that she knows this will be the last time, sure she might not wait so long between her visits next time, but it will never be the same again. The house has officially been sold, it is not there's anymore and so she will not be returning home.

It’s always silent in her new apartment, she lives in a quiet neighbourhood where pretty much everything stands still after 9pm. But as she sits at the kitchen table, watching her family squabble over food, as the kitchen fridge hums lowly, as a siren blares out somewhere in the distance, as Ian steals chips from Mickey's plate, as Lip starts up a new conversation to try and drown out the dull moans drifting from upstairs. She lets it all wash over her, before she clears her voice to get everyones attention, as she raises her cup of coffee one last time to a dad that wasn’t always present, who was pretty shitty most of the time, but who was a constant present that will be missed all things considering. To the man who brought her back home, back to her family, even if it was only for a short amount of time.

**Author's Note:**

> hope this was okay. it's my first time writing in the shameless fandom even though I have been part of it since 2014. this is just an idea i've had floating around since it started to become clear frank is probably going to die in the last episode and everyone is going their separate ways. 
> 
> hopefully there isn't any spelling mistakes etc, I have proof read it twice so fingers crossed.
> 
> let me know what you think. comments and kudos greatly appreciated.


End file.
